HIROSHIMA, JAPAN (AUGUST 6, 2025) (ANADOLU-ACCESS ALL)

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HIROSHIMA, JAPAN - AUGUST 6: Thousands gathered at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city, renewing calls for a world free of nuclear weapons.

The Peace Message Lantern Floating Ceremony honored the victims of the August 6, 1945, attack, when the U.S. dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing an estimated 70,000 people instantly and another 70,000 by the year’s end due to radiation effects.

The bombing, along with the Nagasaki attack three days later, led to Japan’s surrender in World War II.

At 8:15 a.m. local time—the exact moment the bomb struck—a solemn ceremony began, attended by around 55,000 people, including survivors, officials, and international visitors. Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi placed an updated list of victims in the park’s cenotaph, which now bears 349,246 names.

In his peace declaration, Kazumi urged world leaders to visit Hiroshima and witness the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons. "We must establish a new international security framework grounded in dialogue and trust," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reiterated Japan’s commitment to nuclear disarmament, emphasizing that Japan remains the only country to have suffered wartime atomic bombings.

Public broadcaster NHK reported his remarks as survivors and activists highlighted the urgency of preserving testimonies, with the number of living hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) now below 100,000 and their average age exceeding 86.